And the rest is history
by AlisaRB
Summary: After Beth's kidnapping, Daryl has to stay with The Claimers. One day, Daryl finds someone that could be the solution for all of his problems...
1. Alone

**A/N: This is the first fic I've ever written and I love it so much that I don't know why I haven't translated it earlier. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it. This hasn't been edited and it's so late, so please forgive and ignore every possible mistakes!**

* * *

The kitchen was practically dark, excepting two small candles that hardly illuminated the room. It was a clear and calm night: outside, you could only hear the crickets, and in the inside of the funeral home, there was only the sound of the pen against the paper and the spoon against the can of food.

"I'm gonna leave a thank you note" Beth said quietly as she kept writing.

"Why?" Daryl asked after a moment.

"For when they come back" she answered, as if it was obvious, "… _if_ they come back. Even if they're not coming back, I still want to say thanks".

Even all this time surviving together, Daryl could still be surprised by the innocence and sweetness that the Greene girl showed, wanting to be polite even in a world when there wasn't a civilization anymore. His gaze lingered too long accidently. He could see her profile, those gazelle eyes slightly narrowed as she leaned over the paper, those lips pursed in a way that she only used when she was really focused, how soft her skin looked even from his seat…

He blinked a couple of times and looked down at his food. He hit his spoon too loudly with the can, feeling nervous for no reason.

"Maybe you don't have to leave that" he suddenly said. Beth turned her head to glance at him, and Daryl had to look away after a few seconds, "Maybe we stick around here for a while".

He saw her eyes widening, shocked. He'd been thinking all day about that possibility, and truth is it was their better option… or maybe the only one, if they discarded going back to the road. The funeral home was a good place. Dismal, maybe, but it was safe, and it had enough supplies for several weeks.

"They come back; we'll just make it work. They may be nuts, but… maybe it'll be alright" he finished, alternating sentences and looks at Beth while he moved the spoon around. Feeling her eyes on him, he couldn't help but think that he wasn't a boy to be acting like that, and he mustered enough courage to look up at her again. It was almost like being hit by a truck. He turned his head brusquely and took a spoonful. He could almost _hear_ her smiling softly.

"So you do think there are still good people around?" she asked. She had such a blissful expression on her face that he was struggling not to gawk. He blinked again and shrugged, trying to downplay it, "What changed your mind?"

What had changed his mind? How could she be so naïve? After all those times she had told him that "there were still good people", "they had to keep hope alive", after all those sincere, kind smiles, after all the things they'd gone through together… what did she think had changed his mind?

"You know"

"What?"

"Dunno" he muttered so quickly that it sounded as a grunt. He thought for a moment that she could feel annoyed by his lack of response, but then her smile widened, as if she was having fun interrogating him. Maybe because she didn't even suspect what was his answer. Most likely, because even her craziest guesses were too far from the real reason.

"Don't 'dunno'" she countered, imitating his grunt perfectly. He felt blood rushing to his cheeks, but Beth didn't seem to notice. She leaned more over him and repeated her question, "What changed your mind?"

 _Fuck it_ , he thought, feeling suddenly brave. If not then, when? It wasn't like they had a lot of time these days.

But as soon as he looked at her gain, he understood why he had thought it was a good idea to pretend peanut butter was a lot more interesting in the first place. It was because of those damned… _beautiful_ eyes that pierced him with an almost childish curiosity, with tenderness, with untainted candor. Those windows of her pure soul, crowned by long eyelashes that topped a perfect picture, he was totally lost in them.

It wasn't until he realized he had been staring at her for too long that he saw how her smile had faded and her face was turned in shock and something else that he couldn't decipher.

 _Now you know_ , he thought, just before he heard the knock in the door.

* * *

The walker groaned loudly just before the bolt pierced it. Daryl panted, exhausted, as he watched the five walkers that he had just killed. He had been in serious trouble this once. He had been caught by surprise while he took a piss, and he had had just two seconds to react and grab his crossbow to hit one of those monsters' head. The following two were clumsier and therefore, easier to put down, but the fourth and fifth looked fresher, so it complicated things. He unsheathed his knife and put it through what had been a woman's head, immediately after kicking the other walker to hit it with the bolt. He was trying to get away from there when that fucking freak had grabbed his foot and made him fall. Caught up in the moment as he was, he hadn't realized that the first walker was still alive. The crossbow fell with a thud in front of him, and the walker tugging at his boot didn't let him take it. He tried to reach the knife from the woman's head, but she was even further than the crossbow. He felt like shuddering. It was _fear_. He thought he was going to die there. However, he managed to throw off the walker's grip and take the crossbow.

It had been close. One more second and he would've ended up being those fuckers' lunch. He stood up, collected his bolts and the knife. He was going to come back when he heard something dragging itself and crunching the fallen leaves. Daryl knew it was a walker due to the careless way it moved, not caring if anyone heard it or not. He lifted his crossbow, ready to shoot.

"I wonder if it's the 'Attack Dixon Day' today" he grunted.

But what appeared from the woods wasn't a walker, even thought it might as well be. Daryl almost dropped his crossbow when he saw a short girl approaching him. She was white as a ghost, in contrast with her hair, dark and thick, falling all tangled over her face. He was doubled shocked when he noticed that even though it was cold, she was just in her underwear. Daryl also saw the wounds. It seemed like she had just received a brutal beating. He had a pretty ugly cut in her left brow, and bruises decorated her body as if they were tattoos. His blood ran cold when he looked at her neck, which looked like a necklace made of hematomas. It was like someone had had fun with her and then tried to strangle her.

And she was so young… she probably wasn't older than sixteen. Daryl scanned his surroundings, not knowing exactly what to do. For what he could see, the girl wasn't aware of his presence. She looked dazed, and was trying to keep moving, but she wasn't succeeding in that. She leaned against a tree trunk and panted.

"Girl" Daryl muttered, "Hey, can you hear me?"

Her head lifted lightly, just so her amber eyes could find his. He shuddered. It was like a storm was unleashing behind them. Her lips parted, whispering something. Daryl tried to listen to it, but as soon as he approached her, she fainted.

He bent over and moved her towards him. He felt an immense relief when he felt her weak yet constant respiration. He slid his crossbow over his back and picked her up in his arms, still not knowing what to do.

Daryl started walking towards the opposite direction from where she had arrived. He weighed his options. He discarded almost immediately taking her back with Joe's group: he could try to play along their stupid rules and "claim" her, but honestly, he didn't think they'd accept burdens. And that poor girl was. He was shocked by how thin she was. Her bones were sticking out, and he could carry her easily. He stopped suddenly when he thought he had heard something.

The other option, risky and irrational, was to look for a place to stay until the girl recovered. It was madness and he knew it, but he just couldn't leave her there in the middle of the woods. Other walkers, attracted by the sound of his earlier struggle, wouldn't take long to arrive there and make sure her body disappeared. Daryl looked down at her face, for where a tiny blood drop was sliding down until it reached her chin, leaving a reddish track all along her skin.

No, he couldn't come back with the others. They'd rape her and they'd kill her, and if he protested they'd kill him too.

Feeling more determinate, and since nothing else appeared through the trees, he resumed his walking. He had seen a small cabin not far from there. The other ones hadn't noticed it, and Daryl hadn't mentioned it. He didn't think they would find anything good in it, so deviating from their route for shit wasn't helpful.

He walked for what it felt like an eternity until he finally saw the cabin. The girl was still unconscious, and Daryl suspected she'd be like that for a long time. He shifted her weight to start climbing the small elevation to get to the cabin. When he reached the door, he looked at the girl again. He didn't know what to do next. He couldn't leave her on the floor while he checked the cabin, and he doubted that he could carry her if they had to run, but he couldn't just check the cabin with her in his arms. Maybe if he tried to wake her up…

"Kid" he muttered, "hey, c'mon".

He hit her cheeks really lightly to make her react, but she was still K.O. He damned himself internally for being such an imbecile. If he got himself killed that night he would have it coming. Daryl noticed the little rocking chair in the porch. It was dirty and looking like it was about to crumble, but it was that or the floor. So he left her there as carefully as possible. He approached the door and opened it slowly, which didn't stop it from creaking loudly. He hit the doorframe a few times and whistled, as always. He waited patiently until a moan answered his question.

Daryl looked around him, checking for walkers near the cabin, and looked down at the girl one last time, totally lax in that old rocking chair. He entered the cabin and found the source of the noises: a walker in a suit struggled to reach him, but the thick rope that hung him impeded it. Daryl wondered what was doing a guy like him in a lost cabin in the middle of the woods, but it wasn't like it mattered anymore. There was nothing he could do for it.

He lifted his crossbow and aimed for the head. He had the unpleasant sensation that it was looking at him before he shoot it. Daryl checked the rest of the rooms before he went outside again to get the girl. She sighed lightly when he picked her up again. She looked like she was regaining consciousness, judging by how her eyeballs were moving beneath the eyelids and the shivers running through her. He closed the door behind him with a kick and went to the bedroom. He left her in the dusty mattress and turned to open a small wardrobe to look for something to cover her. She must be near hypothermia. He was feeling slightly cold and was wearing several layers of clothes, so she must be freezing.

"That's it" he muttered when he found a blanket hidden under a few jeans. He covered her thoughtfully until he could only see her face. She curled up underneath that blanket like it was the most valuable thing in the world.

Now that he didn't have anything to do, Daryl felt uncomfortable there. He got out to check all the doors and windows and dragged the walker out of the house. He then opened every drawer and cupboard available, searching something to eat. Daryl hadn't been wrong when he had ignored the cabin in the first place. It was obvious that someone had already taken everything. He turned to face the bedroom's door, and felt even more stupid.

"Fuck, Dixon, what are you doing?" he whispered to the dark. It had been dumb from him, trying to save her. It was obvious that she was with someone against her will, and it was pretty likely that that someone was still after her. Or maybe she wasn't just with one person. He didn't even know her, how could he know that the door wasn't going to be kicked open any time soon to take her and kill him? Almost as if he actually believed that someone was going to appear, he made sure the door was locked up tight. He doubted that it would stop a herd of walkers or a group of angry dudes, but maybe it'd give him time to get out of there it the shit hit the fan.

On the other hand, he hadn't been considering his… Joe's group. They must be looking for him too. Joe himself had told him once that he knew he'd leave, but that had happened shortly after Daryl had joined them. Daryl doubted that they'd just let him go. And that taking for granted that they wouldn't want the girl. Yeah, he was positive he would be such an idiot that he'd try to help her and that would be what killed him. Any scenario in his head ended up with him dead. What had he been thinking?

He left the crossbow on the kitchen table and came back to the bedroom to check on the girl. He went still when he saw the empty bed. And just an instant after, he felt someone throwing him to the floor.

The knife's blade shone, bathed with the moonlight. Daryl held the girl's wrist to stop her from beheading him, and he was surprised to find that she was strong. But strong and all, she was just a kid, and he was a man. He wasn't going to be stabbed by a child whose ass, by the record, he'd just saved.

He wanted to be careful, but there were no half measures. He raised his free hand and slapped her so hard that she shook violently before she collapsed beside him. He stood up quickly and took the knife. She started backing up until her back hit the door, and started sobbing, trying to protect herself with her arms.

"Please, please… don't kill me…"

Daryl was shocked. It was _her_ who had tried to murder him, and fuck, she had almost made it. He sheathed the knife, wondering how she had managed to take it without him noticing it, and approached her. She flinched again, still shaking. She couldn't even look up at him. Tears were sliding down her face while she kept saying "please, please".

"'m not gonna kill you" he said dryly. Daryl saw how she stopped shaking, and then she lifted her head to glaze at him. She seemed confused.

"You… you're not…"

"But if you try to stab me again, I assure you I'll rethink it" he barked. He took another step and offered her his hand. She looked reluctant to accept it.

"How do you know you're not gonna hurt me?" she asked.

"You've been blacked out for a while, dontcha think I would've already done it?" he countered. Not looking fully convinced, she took his hand to stand up. She got into the bed difficultly as Daryl handed her the blanket. He felt like a babysitter. What would be next? Reading her a fairytale?

He moved away brusquely and came back to the kitchen to take his backpack and crossbow. He took a glimpse of the outside before he headed towards the bedroom. There weren't walkers or people around. Maybe Joe and his group weren't looking for him after all.

Feeling a bit calmer, he got in the room and dropped his backpack. He left the crossbow beside him and lay down, using the backpack as a pillow.

He had been staring at the ceiling for a few minutes when he felt the girl looking at him. Daryl turned his head and found those amber eyes piercing from the other side of the room.

"Sleep" he ordered her.

"What's your name?" she asked. Daryl scanned her for an instant before he answered.

"Daryl" she nodded, "You?"

She moved under the blanket, making dust appear again. She sneezed before she looked at him again, but she didn't answer. He had just saved her (twice, actually) and now she didn't even trust him.

"Suit yerself" he grunted, turning his back to her.

Even with his eyes firmly closed, he could feel her moving and turning around, incapable of sleeping. She was getting on his nerves. And then, just before he could fall asleep, he heard her whisper:

"Thanks for saving my life".

Daryl was asleep before he could answer.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!  
**


	2. Monsters

**A/N: I know there was some confusion over the pairing of this story. It's a Beth/Daryl story, but since it's an "Alone" divergence, there will be an absence of Beth. Ellie it's not Daryl's romantic interest, that's for sure.**

 **Thanks to lovely** **brady66** **,** **DarylDixon'sLover** **and** **CJ (Guest)** **for your reviews. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

II

Daryl woke up with a startle. He had slept two hours maximum. He never slept too many hours in a row, but he always managed to get enough sleep to feel rested the next morning. That night, however, between his reeling mind and the girl, who wouldn't stop shifting, turning and talking asleep, it had been a lost cause.

He waited until his breath and heartbeats returned to normal before he stood up, and it was just then when he realized something was off. He looked around him, as if he wanted to convince himself that it was a mistake. The girl was gone, and with her, his knife.

"Fuck" he cursed. He took his crossbow and his backpack and got out of there. He didn't even bother looking for her in that tiny cabin: the door was wide open. Daryl went outside without second thought. He wasn't too sure why he was looking for her: he felt a bit responsible for her. After all, it had been him who had rescued her, and she was pretty beaten up.

It didn't take long to find her. After a few minutes wandering aimlessly, he heard the unmistakable walker's moans. He ran towards there, not knowing exactly why, just following his gut. He spotted her fighting three walkers and struggling. When the knife got stuck in the rib cage of one of them and the third one was about to chew up her jugular, Daryl pierced its head with a bolt. He ran towards her and kicked away the other walker as he hit it with the crossbow. Once it was on the ground, he crashed its head with a load stomp, and then he got the knife out of its chest. He took out his old bandana and cleaned up the blade as much as possible before he sheathed it. He saw how she gulped when he stared daggers at her.

Daryl didn't say anything. He just stood up and started walking towards the cabin again. Two seconds later he heard her rushed steps behind him. He stopped immediately and turned, more pissed than he had ever been.

"The fuck you want, huh?"

"I just wanted…" she tried to protest, but Daryl cut her off.

"It's the third time I save your ass, you idiot. What did you intend? You steal my knife and leave the door open while I'm sleepin' so any of those fuckers can come in and devour me. What did you want, kill me or kill yerself? Huh?" he yelled. He refrained himself from slapping her like last night. He needed all of his self-control to do so, "I helped you yesterday, but you're not my problem anymore".

He turned his back to her and re started the way, not knowing now where to go. He hadn't even taken six steps when he heard her imploring voice.

"I didn't mean to risk your life. I know it was stupid, but… I was scared, and I didn't know you. I didn't know if you were harmless".

"Well, I'm not" Daryl snapped, facing her again, "Don't even doubt it".

The girl stared at him silently, and then she nodded.

"I'm sorry" Daryl had the feeling that she had said it with difficulty. She seemed embarrassed, "I've been a jerk".

"Yeah".

"And if you let me stick with you, you'd be making me the biggest favor of my life".

The hunter huffed, exasperated. All his anger came from an absolute and painful truth: he knew that he wouldn't refuse. Partly because, if the girl died (and it was very likely that she would) he'd have to carry with the guilt, and partly because he couldn't stop hearing Beth's voice inside her mind, repeating the same words she had told him when they found the funeral home.

 _"_ _I knew it. It's like I said. There's still good people_ " and she had smiled so sweetly. And he hadn't believed her. How could he? How could he be a good person, after everything he had done, after everything he'd been? How could he be a good person if he had allowed that she was taken from his side without fighting?

He felt a gulp in his throat when he remembered the black car racing away from him. He clenched his teeth and looked at the girl before he started walking again.

 _You gotta stay who you are, not who you were._

He stopped again and took the knife out. He gave it to the girl without saying anything.

* * *

They'd been walking for an hour. The sun was already high in the sky, shining weakly, and the cold was getting in their bones. Suddenly, Daryl noticed the clothes she was wearing. A thin flannel shirt that was too big for her, jeans with holes everywhere and military boots. She was bracing herself, trying to placate the cold and holding the knife on one hand. She had wiped out the blood from her face and the cut looked better, but Daryl suspected that if they didn't take care of it, she was going to get an infection. He thought about the clothes in the cabin's wardrobe. He wasn't exactly paying attention right then, but he couldn't remember those clothes in it.

"Where did you go when you left this morning?" he asked her.

"There was another cabin not far from ours. There was just these clothes, but no coat, and that's weird 'cause here it's cold as fuck. I guess someone else had already taken everything useful".

"Same with the cabin. Someone has cleaned the area. But how did you clean the wound?"

"Oh, this?" she asked, pointing at her eyebrow, "There was a tiny bathroom, covered in blood, but I found a bottle of hydrogen peroxide with a few drops inside and I used it. I was trying to hunt something to eat when I found those… things".

Daryl wondered what had she been trying to hunt with a knife in the middle of the road. Maybe she hoped that a herd of deer would walk by her.

"By the way" she said, "I'm Ellie".

"Oh, now you trust me, don't you?" he countered ironically. When he turned his head again, he froze. A black car with a white cross was pulled over.

His last thought before he started running was Beth. Beth, Beth, Beth… it was everything that came to his mind in those instants. Maybe there wasn't anyone in the car, but they must be nearby. And if they weren't far, that meant that she might be there.

He felt a dull pain in his side from how brusque he had started sprinting, but he ignored it. Nothing, not even the heavy crossbow, the exhaustion, the cold, or the hunger could stop him from getting to that car.

Nothing… except from a very annoying kid.

Before he could react, his face was thrown against the fallen leaves, just like the rest of his body. He needed a few seconds to process what had happened. He felt Ellie's weight crushing him, immobilizing his arms.

"Don't even think about it" she whispered. She stood up and tried to drag him with her, but Daryl grabbed her arm and pulled her strongly.

"What the hell do you think you're doin'?" he put her a few inches from his face, trying to intimidate her, but truth is he didn't look very scary with leaves on his face. Ellie seemed desperate. She was tugging and dragging him with her, as if she didn't care if she torn his arm apart.

"We… have… to… hide…" she panted, exhausted. Daryl was stunned. It wasn't just fear what he saw on her face: she was utterly terrified. And suddenly he understood. He only had five seconds to react before two men appeared from the woods. Ellie let out a squeal of panic. Daryl stood up suddenly and pushed her against one of the abandoned cars. Crouching down behind her, he made her hide and covered her mouth so she couldn't make a single sound. He looked just in time to see how they got in the car and left. It didn't look like anyone was with them. He waited for a few seconds until he moved away from the vehicle, leaving the girl on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I think we need to talk" Daryl muttered, watching how the car disappeared.

* * *

Daryl rekindled the little fire he had lit up. He watched Ellie devouring at full speed her part of the squirrel while he had barely started it. She really must be hungry, but it didn't surprise him, judging by how visible her column was even through the shirt. Despite how many questions he wanted to ask her, he refrained himself and let her eat. When she started licking off her fingers, he started:

"Who are those guys?" he asked cautiously. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and cleared her throat.

"The White Crosses" she answered.

"You know the two of the car?" she nodded.

"They're captors. There's a lot more, but they are kinda run it. The tall one, with the jean jacket, that's Lewis, and the other one's Reagan. Lewis looks more human, but he's just like the others".

"Captors?"

"Yes. They kidnapped me a few weeks ago".

"I supposed it from the look on your face".

"You'd be like that too, if you knew what they're capable of. I used to believe that those things were the monsters, but… they're not. Not really".

Daryl forced himself to drink water to calm down. If she was telling the truth (and she didn't have a reason to lie) those guys were animals. And she had ran way, but Beth…

"What the hell they want? What happened?"

"My brother and I, we were with a group. There were twenty of us. One night, a herd of the things appeared from nowhere and… then we were just eight. And then it was just my brother and I, with no food, no water. We were about to use the last two bullets we had when we saw the train tracks" her voice cracked.

"And you saw Terminus' signs".

"Yes. It was like a fate thing" Ellie wiped her tears; "Matty and I decided that it was worth the shot. We started following the signs, and things were good for the first time in a long time…"

Her voice quivered again and she started sobbing silently. Daryl didn't push her. She was just a scared child in a world where she had no one who could protect her. Ellie got rid of the tears again and breathed deeply, trying to regain control.

"One night, I woke up suddenly. I knew something was off. There was no fire, and I couldn't find Matty. Then I heard him screaming. I didn't even think about it. I started running like crazy, looking for him. You know, I wasn't considering the fact that one of the things could hear me, so of course I didn't think that _someone_ could. I just wanted to find Matty. I couldn't stop calling him, but he wouldn't answer. And then I got to the road. I saw Matty laying on the ground, and a man in front of him, and then a car blinded me with its headlights. I wanted to run away, but… I froze when I saw the blood".

She paused and inhaled again. Daryl saw how her hands shook when she pulled a strand of hair from her face.

"It's all a big trap" she muttered, "There's no sanctuary. There's no community, there's nothing, just… death".

She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Even remembering it, Daryl could see how much it affected her.

"What happens there?"

Ellie huffed lightly.

"The question is: what _doesn't_ happen there? The White Crosses, the captors, the signs, the train tracks… everything's the same thing. Everything's managed by those two…"

"Who?"

"The real monsters" she whispered, piercing him with her amber eyes. Daryl's blood ran cold, "The memories are confusing from there. They drugged me a lot. They got me naked and dragged me to some kind of… observation room. They made me lay down on a metallic table. I wanted to talk, or move, but I was paralyzed. I could hear them talking, I could feel the cold of the table, but I couldn't do anything to resist. I was so scared that I cannot even remember what they were saying".

"And after that?"

"I woke up in darkness. Dehydrated and dazed. I could hear girls crying; whispers, but I couldn't see anything. I dunno how long I stayed there until she arrived".

"She?"

"She said her name was Mary. She came in and told us that we didn't have to be scared but proud. That we had been chosen to collaborate. She told us that if we followed the rules and adapted, we could be part of the Greater Good. I didn't understand what she was talking about. I just wanted to get out of there. And then they made us all go outside. We were all in our underwear, not caring one bit if we froze. They made us stand up and asked us our names and age. She slapped the ones who cried. She said that clothes, food and everything were a privilege, not a right, and that we had to earn it with merits, not with tears. Then they sent us again to that kind of building where they kept us. There were no windows so I didn't know what time it was. I lost track of time. I was scared because I thought they'd let us starve to death, but then that woman appeared again and called four of us. We went to some doctor's office… they… started asking awkward questions, they made us pee in a cup. Like… they _knew_ what they were doing".

"What kinda questions?"

"If… we'd already had our first period" he saw her flush, "and when it was, and when the last one was, and… if we were virgins, and with how many boys…"

She stopped, totally blushed, and Daryl didn't push her.

"What happened after?"

"They injected us something. Then they made us go to another room, one by one. We had to lie down in some weird thing with our… with our legs spread" she whispered, "I didn't cry, not like the other girls. I didn't cry when they injected me that or when they started looking at me like I was some kind of… animal. I didn't even cry when that woman came to me and told me that they had killed my brother and they'd kill me if I didn't obey them. She feared me" a bitter smile appeared then, "I know it because she came to me only to threaten me. The rest of them were already willing to do anything, but I wasn't, and Mary knew. Matty always said that I was the most stubborn girl ever, and he was so right. Then they gave us like… nurse uniforms and took us to another place that had windows".

She stopped when a walker appeared and fell against the ropes. Daryl stood up and put him down quickly. Ellie seemed a bit confused, like she was far from there, still in Terminus, but she nodded nevertheless when he gave her a look to continue.

"We helped the doctors. We cleaned up vomits, or blood, or anything, we stitched up… whatever they ordered us. Mary disappeared and another woman dressed with a cop uniform started watching us. She _seemed_ so nice. She was always smiling and being polite to us. She didn't slap anyone for crying, but I noticed how the ones who cried the most were the firsts in disappear. I don't know where they took them. I just… obeyed and stayed quiet. That's how I learnt so many things of that place".

She stopped again, gesturing to the water bottle. Daryl handed it to her and she took big gulps, probably tired from being talking so much. It looked like the more she talked the more courage she gained.

"I'm not sure what else they have, but the White Crosses are like the medical part of Terminus. They get supplies for the doctors, they look for young girls".

"Why do they want young girls?"

"How many girls of my age do you think that are alive right now?"

"Not many" Daryl admitted.

"How many virgin girls do you think are still alive?"

Daryl went still. Ellie smiled, but there was no joy behind it.

"They're so convinced they'll find a cure that they want to avoid extinction… and boredom. It took me a while to understand why they chose us to help the doctors. It was because… we're virgins. I'd been there for two weeks when one of the girls appeared. She had been there longer than me, and she was like a nurse too. She was bleeding so much… she was pregnant, and she lost the baby. The doctor called Mary and told her that the girl wasn't _worth it_ , that she couldn't have children. I saw them burning her body. Once she couldn't give birth, they let her die" her eyes were glassy again, "She was fifteen".

Daryl felt the squirrel wanting to come back to the outside. Questions were stuck inside his throat, and he just couldn't ask them. Ellie sniffled.

"Girls are like… cattle. They drug them sometimes and they control them. The ones that aren't virgin are used for different things, but if one of them is pretty they… _use_ her. They send the virgin ones to the hospital. Mary used to classify us: who's obedient, who's older, and who's prettier. I didn't realize because girls were changing all the time, and if one of them got pregnant she disappeared. When that girl appeared, I…" she gulped, "Two days later, they found me overhearing a conversation. Mary said they had to discipline me. The day I ran away… it was the same day a man claimed me".

Ellie stopped immediately, and Daryl felt relieved. He didn't want to know what had happened. He didn't want to know if a man much older than her had forced a kid to undress and do whatever the hell that fucker wanted.

"It was late when two girls came to me to clean me. They made me go to another room and forced me to take off my uniform again. I didn't know what to do. They had locked the door and there was no escape. I was freezing because my hair was damp and made me shiver. I was trying to climb to a tiny window when a man appeared. He was drunk, and he smelled like he had drunk a whole liquor store on his own. He walked like one of those things… he approached me and he tried to take off my underwear, but I bit him. He got angry and tried to slap me, but I moved and he tripped. He hit his head and stopped moving. I took his keys; I opened the door and got out of there. I can't remember how, I just did. I cannot remember you saving me either" she looked at him again, tears falling freely, "So now you know. It's all a big trap. And everyone buys it".

* * *

The night was clear. Temperatures had stabilized a bit, so Daryl refused to take their own blanket and he lay against the trunk of a tree. Beside him, Ellie was sound asleep.

He was repeating Ellie's words over and over again. It was hard to believe that it was true, but he didn't know why: people were that sick even before world went to shit. Maybe the fact that Beth was there made it more difficult to assimilate. He couldn't imagine her being in such an awful place, surrounded by people who tortured her to get what they wanted from her. Something came to his mind: Beth, sitting on a bed, just on her underwear, waiting with fear for someone to come in and…

He clenched his teeth. His sight turned red just from thinking about it. No, he'd kill anyone who tried to touch her. She was something too good and pure to harm her. They'd had to be really stupid not to see that. Beth wasn't a piece of meat. She wasn't cattle. They couldn't have touched her. They couldn't.

He heard Ellie stretching slowly. She turned around and faced him.

"I couldn't remember the last time I slept with one eye open" she muttered.

"Me neither".

"You've been awake for long?" Daryl shook his head, "Don't tell me you haven't slept yet".

He didn't answer.

"Daryl" it was the first time that she said his name, and it felt weird, "you need to sleep".

"I slept enough yesterday".

"You're just gonna get yourself killed".

"And that'd be tragic, wouldn't it?" he replied bitterly. Ellie didn't respond. She just stared at him, "Quit that".

"Why were you running after the car?" she asked suddenly.

"What?"

"You heard me. You should've seen your face. It was like you'd seen a ghost".

"Well, you don't find alive people every day. Not anymore".

"You can't lie, you know that?" she giggled. Then, her face turned serious again, "No one would react like that, and no offense, but you don't look like the sociable type. Something happened. You'd already seen them".

"And what if I'd already seen them?"

"Who did they take?" she whispered. She straightened up when Daryl tensed, "You don't have to tell me, it's evident. I wasn't sure when you started running, but then you made me tell you everything. They took someone you cared about".

Daryl looked at her.

"I may know her" she added, "I might have seen her".

"Don't think so. You said girls were always changing".

"So I wasn't in the wrong when I said they took someone" Daryl realized he had talked too much, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone".

"You should go back to sleep".

"But I-"

"Sleep" he repeated harshly.

"Suit yourself" she countered, offended. She turned her back to him and shifted in the hard ground.

A couple of minutes passed by until Daryl huffed, giving in. What could he lose for asking?

"Beth" he muttered. He thought that Ellie had already fallen asleep again, because she didn't answer right away, but then she turned slowly, "She's alive?"

He noticed Ellie's glassy eyes before she nodded energetically. And suddenly, he felt his eyes burning.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	3. Favors

**A/N: I just wanted to say sorry for taking so long to update! I just had to finish this chapter and I had the half of it finished for more than a month and still I didn't have time to finish it until now. Please remember that yes, this is a bethyl fic and yes, _Beth will appear_. I cannot tell when or where or how but I can promise she appears (and not really late), so please, be patient! Also, I wanted to warn everyone: this will be a dark story. A really dark story, so maybe if you're looking for something else, this might not be your thing. Maybe you should read until you feel it's too much or maybe not your thing anymore..? Or just try! Maybe you find out you like this kind of stuff!**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

A new day had arrived and forgotten the warmth from last night, bringing new, grey clouds that hid the sun, the wind helping him to freeze Daryl and Ellie. Winter was getting closer, and they hadn't found a place to stay yet. Being honest though, Daryl didn't want to find a place. He wanted to find Beth.

He hadn't slept anything after Ellie's understatement. Beth was alive, and according to the girl, she was still alive because Beth had been there:

"She arrived a few days later than me, but she adapted quickly. She just worked and kept silent. She taught me how to refrain myself if Mary or the other woman told us anything. And it so hard that sometimes I thought I'd bleed from biting my tongue, but Beth was always there, behind me. She had my back. And when she smiled at me I knew she was saying "hold on". She's just… so strong" she told him after neither of them could sleep.

"She is" Daryl admitted quietly. Ellie yawned loudly, "You should get more sleep. It'll dawn soon".

"I'm not tired" Ellie lied. Suddenly, a wicked smile crossed her face, "Was Beth your girlfriend?"

Daryl's heart skipped a beat, but he kept his face blank, with the slightest touch of disbelief, just to make it look like he thought it was absurd.

"The hell you're talking? She was my partner. My friend" he muttered.

"Well, all girlfriends start being just friends" Ellie continued, that goofy grin in her face.

"How could you know? What are you, twelve?"

"I'm fifteen, jackass" she scolded him, "Anyway, you don't need to be an expert to notice that she wasn't just your friend".

"What could you know" he grunted.

"C'mon" Ellie straightened up brusquely, stretching out her arms, like she was saying ' _what_?', "It's _impossible_ that you didn't feel anything for her".

"I was fond of her, kid. We went through lot of shit together, but nothin' like the soap opera you imagined in your head".

Ellie nodded in a way that proved that she hadn't believed him for a second before she turned around and went to sleep.

Daryl kept his sight fixed on the fire until it consumed, just when the girl awoke. Her hair, more messy than ever, fell down her back in knots that completed her extremely skinny and bruised body. At least she had been quiet last night. He had been worried that her nightmares could attract more walkers.

"Mornin…" Ellie yawned, stretching, "Why didn't you wake me up to keep guard?"

"Don't matter".

"Don't it?" Well, the bags under your eyes tell me something else" she teased him. Daryl didn't answer her. He was too busy picking up his stuff, or more like pretending he was, letting his mind wander through the memories.

* * *

Daryl couldn't help but notice the way the girl was trembling. She wasn't wearing enough clothes for the humid weather. He could see her nose and cheeks flushed from the wind while she kept going, her arms crossed around her chest and the knife sheathed. Daryl understood it was her way to protect herself from the cold, but it pissed him off that she didn't even care if a walker chewed on her arm as long as she was feeling warm.

"Ellie" he grunted, "Take the fuckin' knife off the sheath".

"There's nothing" she protested, looking around her to illustrate her point.

"There's nothin' here, right here. But we could find a herd of walkers coming for us and if you have to get your knife from the fuckin sheath we're gonna be fucked up".

"What did you call 'em? Walkers?" Ellie asked with curiosity. Daryl shrugged.

"'S just a name. Better than _things_ , ain't it?" he replied.

"Yeah" She admitted, "I never knew how to call them. Not that I think about it a lot though. But walkers it's… fitting".

Daryl just nodded, and Ellie took out her knife to soothe him. Their journey was pretty calm: fortunately, Daryl's guesses weren't right. A huge herd of undead didn't wait for them. However, they stepped right into the rail tracks.

Ellie stopped immediately, pale. The youngest Dixon expected her to react like that, but he kind of hoped that he could distract her a bit more before that.

"Hey" he started, but Ellie shook her head histrionically, "Calm down".

"No, no, no. No. Don't even think about tellin' me to 'calm down'" she muttered, her gaze fixed on the sign, as if she was afraid that it was going to attack her in any moment. Daryl decided that he should keep his mouth shut for the moment, "Were you listening to me last night? Terminus is a death sentence, not salvation".

"Beth's there".

"You cannot fight them all. That's a suicide mission, Daryl".

"Not gonna fight 'em all. We'll get there at night and take her. You've been there, you know every corner, you know where she is. For when they notice we'll be far enough".

"No. I'm not going back there".

And just like that, she took a step back and sat down in the middle of the road. Daryl watched her, confused. Finally, he sighed and said:

"Then I guess there's nothing I can say to change your mind, right?"

Ellie shook her head. Well, that was what she said now. The hunter approached and offered her his hand to get up.

"A'right. We'll find someone".

"What?"

"You don't wanna go back, that's okay. I can't leave you alone either. It's clear you're pretty useless by yerself" he raised a finger to hush her when she opened her mouth to protest, "So we'll find someone willing to accept you in their group".

"Who? We've been walking for two days and we haven't run into anyone".

"Sure plenty of people have seen the signs. If we follow the tracks, we'll end up seeing someone".

"Or someone will see us" she murmured bitterly. Daryl saw how her lips pursued in a thin line before she accepted his hand and stood up. After forty-eight hours of intensive coexistence in a world where the dead ate the living, Daryl had started noticing the maturity of the girl. He could almost begin to understand the storm behind those amber eyes. Her hands had stopped shaking, and she didn't look at him with fear anymore. It had been a brusque change, but it was just the two of them now. She could get used to him or keep being terrified of the only person she could rely onto right now.

* * *

They had walked past four signs. Ellie muttered a "fuck" every time, and then stared daggers at him. Daryl acted as if he didn't realize.

Truth is, he actually believed he could convince her. Ellie was a tough kid, that was clear, but she was just that: a kid. Maybe she'd seen horrible things, but there was still some innocence in her. If he could find the way to remind her of the good morals instead of the survival, maybe he could make her go with him. Not like he had another choice. No one was going to appear to accept her in a group. He knew, and he thought that she might too. But she had said yes nevertheless. That was something.

If he could make her realize that they could save Beth from the same that she had been through…

"I remember this candy bars" he heard her sigh. Daryl turned around just like she picked up a Snickers' wrapper from the ground, "I miss chocolate. Well, I miss sugar. Mom always said I was nervous because my dad had bought her chocolate almost every day when she was pregnant with me. Maybe it's true".

Daryl didn't answer. He wasn't going to ask her about her family: everyone had a sad story nowadays.

"Matty and I lived with my mom in Florida, even though she was never really around. She was always working, because we didn't have much money. But one day Matty got a scholarship for university. Mom was so proud, but… the university was across the country, you know? He'd have to leave and I would only see him in Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or… maybe when he finished university. He'd enjoy and I'd be alone in that apartment. Then he told me that he wanted to have a proper goodbye. So we decided to cross the country by car", she giggled, "We left a note and a number, but… mom never called. I think Florida was one of the first places to fall" her expression darkened lightly, "But I spent two wonderful months".

Daryl looked at her. She was walking like she weighed nothing, looking up at the sky. That story sounded familiar to him. Siblings that had lived almost alone because their parents weren't around. Yeah, it was almost too familiar.

"I think I was pretty lucky" she just blurted out.

"Lucky?" he repeated in disbelief. Ellie nodded.

"Yeah. I was incredibly lucky. I enjoyed something awesome before things changed. But there were people who got out from a boring job and suddenly discovered that the dead had started eating the living. It's a sad way to die".

"Death is sad", he replied, resuming his walking.

"Not always. Some deaths are… quiet. They're okay" she said decidedly. Daryl stopped and turned around to look at her, his heart beating violently, "Yeah, Beth taught me that" she added.

Of course. Of fucking course. He couldn't remember that night in the shack. He couldn't get rid of the memory of her tears.

 _That's how unbelievable stupid I am_ , and then she had drunk more moonshine. Daryl felt a knot in his chest.

"Beth and I used to sleep close" Ellie kept going", If we weren't too tired, we'd talk a bit. We told each other things about our past life. Well, that was at the beginning. I told her about Matty, about him making sure I survived… and she told me about the farm, about how she thought that the "walkers" were just sick, and how her family locked them up in the barn. And then she told me about the prison".

Daryl picked up the pace, trying to put some distance. He knew she was just trying to cheer him up somehow, but it was making him uncomfortable. He didn't want to remember. They couldn't go back: he couldn't be at the prison again, feeling what it was like to have a home and a family.

He couldn't.

* * *

It was already dark. The wind was starting to drop and the stars were already lightening the sky. Daryl saw Ellie's teeth chattering and decided that they could call it a day.

"We'll sleep here" he said, stopping in front of an old delivery van. He opened the doors carefully; pointing at the inside with his crossbow, but it there was nobody inside. There were just a few boxes papers that flew away as soon as the doors opened. Daryl got in and gestured her to follow him. Ellie obeyed and closed the doors behind them, and immediately after darkness swallowed them. It was almost claustrophobic, but it was also kind of cozy. The wind couldn't hit them, and it was warm in there. He felt Ellie stir and move against one of the boxes.

"What do you think there are in here?" she asked with curiosity. He heard her trying to open the box with her hands, but since her short nails couldn't do it, she huffed and took out the knife to tear apart the box. Even in the darkness, her eyes shone.

"What is it?" Daryl said. He couldn't help but smirk when Ellie handed him a cookies package. It was ironical how happy a girl could be just from some rancid cookies. But he wasn't going to ruin this for her. She started devouring them almost desperately, "Mm… not too bad. They still have some taste".

Daryl tried to get comfortable and put his crossbow beside him while Ellie kept eating. They stayed silent for a few minutes before Ellie thought of sharing, but Daryl shook his head.

"I'm never been into cookies" he confessed.

"Really? And what are you into?" Daryl shrugged, "C'mon".

"Dunno. Never ate lots of sweets when I was little. Never got used to the cloying".

"Right. Guess it's the same with squirrels: you have to adapt since you're young to like them" she joked.

"Yeah, that's it" he played along, "But your cookies have nothin' on my squirrels, that's for sure".

Ellie tried to counter, but her mouth was so full that she couldn't pronounce a single syllable.

"There's no rush. It's not like you're stealing them" he told her. Ellie hummed in agreement, and started making some funny noises. Suddenly, Daryl turned his head and found out that she had been trying to swallow the huge amount of cookies down her throat. Daryl couldn't believe she hadn't hurt herself.

"There's something I didn't tell you" she blurted out.

"What?"

"I already knew you".

Daryl needed a few seconds to answer.

"Whaddaya mean?"

"Beth. She talked about you… all the time" she giggled, "When I woke up in that cabin and I saw the crossbow, I started wondering if it was really you. But then you said your name and… oh God, I even thought about fate and that stuff. How small is the world now, right?"

Daryl was surprised. Beth talked about him? What had she said? He wanted to ask, but he just couldn't. That kid was damn smart. If she heard something weird in his voice, she'd manage to give him shit for that. She was frankly frustrating.

He tried to sound indifferent as he spoke:

"Now I get why you freaked out when I didn't let you kill me. Who knows what she told you 'bout me".

But Ellie just let out a breathy laugh.

"Nope" she said, emphasizing the 'p', "If you wanna know, you'll have to ask directly, Daryl. Your tricks won't work with me2.

Daryl tried not to huff. How did she do it? Could she read minds or something?

"Dunno what you're talking about" Daryl grunted. Ellie giggled and then she kept silent for a couple of seconds before she spoke again.

"Okay, I'll tell you something, but just because you saved my life… twice" she leaned against him, trying to create some kind of intrigue, "You have to learn how to read between the lines. You'll never get a girl just grunting".

And letting out a light laugh, she started eating again. Daryl was shocked. Had she really told him that as if nothing? Didn't she feel embarrassed in the slightest? And the worst thing was, didn't she feel like a terrible person for just telling him _that_?

He tried to distract himself fidgeting with a bolt, like he wasn't over thinking it at all. But then, he heard something, and he was surprised to find Ellie trying to open the door.

"What are you doing?"

"I gotta pee" she hissed. She tried to open it again, but she just couldn't, "C'mon, help me, it's urgent".

With a sigh, Daryl moved her away and opened the door. Ellie got out and rushed through the woods, but stopped mid-track when she noticed him following her.

"Where are you going?"

"With you".

Ellie snorted.

"Good news, I can already pee on my own. I stopped using diapers a long time ago, so better for you".

"Yeah, well, bad news: turns out the dead walk and eat people, so you going through the woods by yourself when you're trying to take a piss is not a good idea".

"It is absolutely necessary?" Daryl nodded, "Pf… okay, let's do this".

She moved through the trees until she was covered by a trunk.

"Turn around!" she whispered. With another sigh, Daryl turned so his side was facing her, enough to keep an eye on her while he watched.

It was then when he noticed the smoke. A weak track of smoke that looked like it was about to extinguish. There was someone there, not even a mile away.

"Ellie!" Daryl yell-whispered as he walked towards her. The girl was just buckling her pants when he reached her.

"Hey, what are you…!" Ellie started, but she stopped when she noticed his expression. She followed his gaze until her own eyes found the smoke, and then they both looked at each other. Daryl nodded, and she took out the knife.

They moved as silently as possible, trying to be invisible. They didn't know who those people were. Daryl didn't think it was Joe's group. It looked like whoever it was tried to be discreet, and that was something that Joe and his folks had never thought of.

Daryl lifted his crossbow and gestured at Ellie so she would stay right behind him. They moved behind one of the cars and Daryl peeked out.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw Rick. His beard was a lot longer and he looked older, but it was still him. Michonne was sitting beside him, and there was nothing different in her. He felt Ellie poking him.

"What is it?" Ellie whined, trying to see.

"Stay quiet" he indicated her.

He felt a tug, and for when he reacted, he was cornered. That dude called Harley was pointing at him with his gun, while Billy was immobilizing Ellie firmly.

Joe appeared from the shadows and put the gun against Rick's temple. Daryl saw how his friend tensed as the cold metal touched his skin. Tony was pointing at Michonne, but she looked more shocked for seeing Daryl than for the fact that she was about to die.

"Well, look at this…" Joe said.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay I just finished watching the premiere and oh my god. Thoughts?  
**

 **Thanks for reading and please comment!**


	4. Reunited

**A/N: I wanted to apologize for taking so long to translate and for any mistakes in the chapter! Remember I'm not 100% bilingual and also I need to edit every single chapter.**

 **Also thanks to everyone who has read and commented this fic! I know it's a slow-paced story and not everyone is into it, but thanks nevertheless to everyone for giving it a shot. Every time I receive a email because someone added it to their favs or followed it or left a comment, I soar!**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: TWD and its characters are not my property. If they were, Beth and Daryl would have a passionate kiss in every single episode.**

* * *

"Well, look at this…" Joe said. He heard the rest of them laughing cruelly. He refrained himself from punching every single one of them, knowing that that would be his end. But thinking about it, it wasn't like they had many chances of getting out of that one alive.

He felt a gun on his back.

"Walk" Harley told him. He obeyed and took a few steps forward until he wasn't behind the vehicle anymore. He could see Carl inside the car, waking up and ignorant of what was going on.

The astonishment in Rick's face was like a mirror of Daryl's feelings. He could even perceive some doubt, as if he was wondering if Daryl was really with those bastards, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed.

"It seems like the deserter found a toy to play with"… Tony whistled, burying his face in Ellie's hair. She closed her eyes, repulsed.

"And it seems like we found the guy who killed Lou" Joe added, pressing his gun even further against Rick's temple, "C'mon, let's count. Ten Missisipis, nine Missisipis, eight Missisipis…"

"Hold on" Daryl said. It was like everything was at slow motion.

"You stopped me at eight Missisipis, Daryl" the man complained.

"Just hold on" Daryl repeated.

"He killed Lou, there's nothing to talk 'bout" Harley spitted out.

"The thing 'bout nowadays is we have nothing except time" Joe countered, "Say what you wanna say, Daryl".

The hunter swallowed hard, more nervous than never.

"These people… you gotta let 'em go. These are good people".

"Well, I think Lou wouldn't agree with ya" Joe answered, plastering a terse smile on his face, "'Cause it turns out your buddy strangled Lou for no reason".

"You want blood. I get it" he looked behind him one second just to make sure Harley was still pointing at him. And then, he moved forward and dropped his crossbow, raising both hands, "Take it from me, man. C'mon".

He saw how it was Joe who was truly shocked. His mouth was a perfect "o".

"This man killed my men. You say he's a good person. And you know what? That there… that's a lie" fury replaced incredulity, "That's a lie!

"C'mon…" he started, but suddenly someone hit him.

"No!" Rick yelled.

Daryl felt the bile rising up when a rifle got him in the stomach, but he managed to contain it. Just as he thought he was regaining balance, a punch sent him straight to the floor. His ears were ringing while the blows kept going, making him smaller and smaller. He tried to get up a few times, but someone's shoes were keeping him at bay. He tasted the copper blood, and was surprised to notice that all of his teeth were still in place.

"Teach him some manners, boys" Joe exclaimed. He opened his eyes enough to see Ellie lying on the floor, blood pouring from the corner of her mouth. His stomach clenched when Tony moved from him to make her stand up brusquely.

"Let's have fun, huh…" he muttered, pinning her against a van's door. Daryl saw her struggle as fiercely as possible, but that man was twice her height and weight. He didn't have to fight much in order to get his nasty hands over her flannel shirt and tear it apart to find her bra. He tried to get up to kill that sick bastard, but Haley kicked him again and left him breathless for a second.

And then, everyone heard a shot.

He turned just in time to see Joe punching Rick, just to try and tackle him to keep him from moving. He thought they were going to die. That's exactly what went through his mind just before he went blank.

 _We're gonna die here._

And then Rick moved his head forward and tore Joe's neck apart with his mouth. Blood surged like it was a fountain while the man crumbled, agonizing. Daryl was in shock, but he knew it was a "now or never" matter: he spun around and punched that fucker as hard as possible.

Over and over again, his boot wouldn't stop sending blows to his face, trying to hurt him as much as he could. He grabbed him from the lapels of his jacket just to send him to the ground again. And that was the final hit.

He raised his boot, and Harley's eyes shone in terror when he understood. Just a whimper is what came out of his mouth before the sole of the boot buried itself on his head. It cracked easily, like a melon. He moved away, trying to not get too much blood on himself, and made his way towards Tony.

However, when he arrived, the man was already lying on his back, his mouth flooding with blood. He had died struggling to breathe through all of it. He searched Ellie, but he couldn't find it. He did find Dan, holding Carl and with a knife on his throat. He took a step forward, but Rick said with a completely calm voice:

"He's mine".

And for the first time since they met, Daryl felt kind of scared of the ex-sheriff. Rick's face was soaking in blood, and his eyes had a shine of craziness. But, somehow, he got it: his son was in danger.

"Get away from me! I'll kill 'im, I'll kill 'im!" that pig screamed, not noticing Rick's eyes. But then he dropped the knife, "Wait, hold-"

It was all he could say before Rick pierced him with his blade. A strangled moan, wide eyes, dying body. Rick drove the blade further into his body. He kept stabbing the body even when it was already dead.

Daryl wasn't shocked anymore. If Beth had been in Carl's position, if Tony had been who had abducted her…

Thinking about her brought something else to his mind.

"Ellie!" he yelled, turning to look for the girl, "Ellie!"

He rounded the car and found her leaning against the wheel, staring at the ground with wide eyes. She was white as a sheet; her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"Ellie" he muttered just before she started crying. Something broke inside him. Any thought he might have had about her being an adult faded away. He knew from the first tear. He couldn't ask her to go to Terminus. He couldn't make her go through that again.

And without even thinking about it, he crouched down and held her tightly. It was just a shoulder squeeze, not even a proper hug, but it was enough for her to wound her arms around his neck and start sobbing uncontrollably.

Daryl pulled her more against him and stroked her hair, trying to comfort her.

* * *

The first rays of sunshine poured over the treetops. Daryl approached Rick and handed him a rag and a bottle of water. The sheriff was sitting in the same spot Ellie had been hours before. The girl was now sitting on the side of the road with Carl and Michonne; she hadn't said a word since last night.

The youngest Dixon soaked the rag and offered it to Rick. He shook his head.

"We can't waste the water" he said.

"You can't see yourself, but he can" the hunter answered. Truth is his blood-covered face and his unraveled beard and hair didn't make him look like a very sane person. He hesitated just one more moment before he took the rag and tried to clean up his face, "I didn't know they were like that".

"How did you wind up with 'em?" Rick asked.

"I was with Beth" he clenched his fists, "we got out together. I was with her for a while".

His eyes were lost. He didn't know where to look at, so he just fixed his gaze on the floor.

"Is she dead?"

It was a tense question. Rick had asked so softly and yet, it made him feel so sick.

"No. Someone took her" he answered, his voice now harsh. Rick's eyes widened slightly, but he kept silent, "And then, Joe and his men found me. I knew they were bad, but… they had rules. Simple and stupid, but… it was something. It was enough".

He was so brutally honest that the guilt and shame were practically burning under his skin.

"And you were on your own" Rick commented.

"They were after a guy. They said they had spotted him… and I was thinking about leaving as soon as possible. But then I found Ellie. We had been hiding for three days from these dudes and the people that were after her. Last night, when I saw the fire, I thought it might be them… but then I saw you. And then you saw me. I… didn't know… what they could do" he whispered. He couldn't look him in the eye.

Maybe, if he hadn't left. Maybe he would've been able to convince them. Maybe he would've done something. Maybe, maybe, maybe…

"It's not on you" Rick said, "Hey. That's not on you".

Daryl turned his head to look at him. The craziness was long gone from his eyes. There was Rick, epitome of all the good things he'd never had: loyalty, friendship, partnership… it was there.

"You being back with us here… that's everything".

That was it. No hard feelings, or throw backs, no one to blame. No disappointment. It wasn't on him. That was it. That was the Rick he knew.

"You're my brother".

His heart skipped a beat. He didn't remember Rick saying that to anyone except for Shane. He looked at him. He felt something alike to emotion, but the exhaustion and the shock from last night didn't let him say anything in response.

"What you did last night…" he managed to say, "anyone would've done it".

He was trying to comfort it, to make him realize that he wasn't a monster. He wasn't.

"No, not that" Rick replied.

Daryl bit the inside of his cheek, trying to find something proper to say.

"Something happened. That wasn't you".

"Daryl, you saw what I did to Tyreese. That wasn't all of me, but that's me" he said, "That's why I'm here, and so is Carl. I just want to protect him. That's all that matters".

He looked so determined… he wasn't feeling guilty. Maybe a few months ago, after Lori's death, everyone would've thought he wouldn't make it, but that was before. He had come back. He had come to make up with his actions. Because Carl was his priority.

* * *

"How are they?" Daryl asked Michonne.

"Carl's unhurt, but I'm worried. He saw how he tore a dude's throat apart-"

"To protect him" he defended Rick.

"I know" she answered calmly, "But it's not like that makes it easier to forget. And the girl… she doesn't look damaged either, but she hasn't said a word yet. It's like she's gone".

"She hadn't killed anyone before, and she's as old as Carl".

"She must be traumatized".

"She already was" Michonne turned her head to look at him, frowning, "When I found her, she was running away from Terminus. It's not what they try to sell. There's no sanctuary, community, or salvation. They killed her brother and held her captive. Who knows what she saw, she just told me half of it. And those people… the ones from Terminus, they abducted Beth as well".

"What does Rick say about all of this?"

"He doesn't know yet".

"Why not?" she inquired. Daryl just shrugged.

"I wanted to go get Beth, but Ellie refused. I wanted to go during the night and rescue her before they could realize. I thought… I could convince her to come back there" he felt uncomfortable admitting it, "She knows that place, she knew Beth, she could help me get her out of there".

Michonne didn't answer right away. Instead, she took her katana and slung it over her shoulder as she crouched down to take her bag.

"We were trying to get there" she muttered".

"I know".

"You gotta tell him".

"I know that too".

"Tell what to whom?" Rick asked. He looked ready to start going, "We should keep moving if we want to get to Terminus before night".

"Rick…" Michonne started. The woman sent Daryl a look, trying to make him talk. Rick glanced at Michonne, then at Daryl, and then at her again.

"What's wrong?" Rick asked, frowning.

"You gotta know something" Daryl finally said.

Rick's frown deepened.

* * *

"So, we've been travelling all this time for nothing" Rick concluded.

"Not nothing" Daryl answered, "Now we know what's awaiting there. If I hadn't found Ellie, we'd be all heading towards death".

"A'right" Rick sighed, "What now?"

Daryl's eyes widened.

"What are you talkin' about?" he snapped, "We go get Beth"

"Daryl…" Michonne started.

"No. Ellie told me she was there, _alive_ ".

"She was alive a week ago, Daryl".

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Daryl practically growled.

"I'm just saying that if Terminus is anything like what she tells, we cannot take such a risk and go get someone that might me dead".

"She's alive" Daryl grunted. The ambient had become extremely tense all of a sudden. Daryl didn't want to argue with Rick, but what he was saying wasn't even a possibility. Beth was alive. She had to be.

"Okay, let's calm down" Michonne interrupted, "Listen, Daryl, nobody says she's dead. From what you've told us, if she hasn't tried to fight 'em, she could be okay. But we aren't totally sure she's still alive. And besides, we need to know where is she from all the places-"

"… and we don't have a clue" Rick concluded.

Daryl didn't answer. Truth is, they had a point: they weren't positive she was alive, and even if they wanted to find out, they couldn't take such a risk. They weren't many: there were three adults, one of them harmed, and two kids.

But what was the other option? Leave Beth behind? She could have died (he felt like someone had punched him) but she might as well be alive. Just from thinking that they could pass by Terminus with her being so close, made him sick. He could still see the bruises on her skin. The fingerprints on her neck were as purple as the first day. He couldn't help but wonder what had Ellie done to receive such a beaten up. She said she had escaped without fighting anyone. What had happened?

His thoughts came to an end when Carl and Ellie got up suddenly and approached them.

"We gotta go get Beth" Carl said immediately.

"Carl" his father interrupted him.

"No, listen" he kept going, "I know it's not a sure bet, but the world's changed, dad. All we do now is take risks. If there is a slim chance that she's alive, as days go by the chance turns smaller. We gotta go get her now. If we do it at night they don't have to notice right away".

"It's not that easy, Carl" Michonne interfered.

"Of course it is".

"No, it's not" Rick countered harshly, "My priority is to keep you safe".

"You were the leader. Your priority was to keep us _all_ safe. Beth wasn't part of our family then?"

"I didn't say that".

"She was like Juju's mom. That doesn't count?" Carl continued. Rick looked away, hurt and ashamed, "I'm not saying we go across the country just to see if she's there, I'm just saying we should end this journey and find out once and for all. And if she' not…"

His voice cracked lightly, and he bowed his head lightly. He breathed in deeply and looked at his dad again.

"If she was dead" the word fell over them like a wall of bricks, "at least we'd know what kind of people we're fronting. We'd get out of there and be on our way immediately. I think it's worth the shot".

No one said anything for a few moments.

"Can I… say something?" Ellie muttered weakly. Daryl was surprised. Ellie was always so strong, so determined, and so extremely outgoing with him… hell, she gave him shit whenever she wanted.

Rick nodded kindly.

"If it hadn't been for her, I… I'd be dead. She helped me so much. She gave me _hope._ I just wanted to die, but she made me realize that there was something good out there. That's why I think we should go".

She lowered her gaze and took a step back. Carl squeezed her shoulder gently, and she smiled at him, as if they were old friends.

"Ellie knows where Beth is" Daryl thought it was the perfect moment to add it, "If she's willing to go, we could get her without them noticing".

Rick stared at him for a few moments in a way that he couldn't decipher.

"I'm not your father. If you want to…" Ellie nodded, "then it's decided".

He looked at the hunter again, and this time, he snorted and smiled softly.

"Look at that" he muttered, so low that Daryl doubted anyone had heard him, "But still, I don't want you going there, Carl".

"You cannot keep me from going".

"I can".

"What am I going to do then, wait outside until you're done?" he huffed, "I'm going too".

He was so determined that everyone looked surprised. Carl wasn't a kid anymore. He had gone through so many things that he just wasn't afraid of hardly anything. But Ellie was another story.

He looked at her. She was as silent as before, chewing on her thumbnail absently. She seemed as if she was relaxed, but Daryl knew that she was incredibly tense. The way her shoulders were contracted betrayed her.

* * *

Once there were no more issues to discuss, they kept going. It was almost noon when they reached one of the latest Terminus signs. The map indicated that there was just a mile away from the "Sanctuary".

Daryl approached Ellie when Michonne, Rick and Carl were talking ahead of them. He wanted to make sure she was okay and she was sure of her decision. She was too pale and she just wouldn't stop moving her knife around as they approached their destination.

"Ellie" he called her. She turned slowly.

"Yes?"

"You alright?" she nodded, "Don't look like it".

She just shrugged and kept walking. Daryl was getting pissed off. She just wouldn't talk to him. He was never the talkative type, but Ellie was always chit-chatting and that was her.

"You can't lie either, you know?"

"No".

"Yeah".

She didn't answer.

"Hell, I'm worried you're fucked, that's all".

"You don't need to be" she muttered.

"You hadn't killed anyone before, right?" he asked her right away. Ellie squinted at him. She looked annoyed as hell since he said "kill".

"Asshole".

"What?" he couldn't believe it. Why was she mad at him?

"Asshole" she repeated, as she turned her back to him and kept walking. Daryl didn't understand anything anymore. If he had ever believed he could kind of understand women, or at least Ellie, he was extremely wrong.

Giving up, he kept some distance and watched her intently. She looked as serene as always, but this time, she hadn't crossed her arms and her knife was on her hand. At least she hadn't forgotten that. He sighed heavily. He had to be focused. It was going to be an intense night.

 _I'm coming for you, Beth._


	5. Terminians

**A/N: I'm so honestly excited about this chapter. It's unedited, so all mistakes are mine!**

 **Disclaimer: TWD and its characters are not my property. I wish.**

* * *

Daryl felt his muscles stiff from the tension. They'd been hidden under Terminus's wire fences, watching its guards in their night turn. He could see the features of one of them when a light hit him in the face. He felt a tug in his stomach when he noticed the scar that crossed his face. It was like someone had stitched him up clumsily, with no medical knowledge.

He turned his neck to look at Rick, who judging by his expression, had just seen what he had seen. Daryl made him a signal before he hid before one of the bushes. He started climbing the wire fences as silently as possible, trying to ignore the soreness in his limbs. He refrained himself from kicking Ellie when she, trying to follow him, let out a loud whimper. He jumped down again when one of the guards looked at their direction. He waited a couple seconds and climbed again, staring daggers at Ellie.

"Sorry" she whispered. He crossed the wire fence and fell with a thud, rolling until he got to another bush. Daryl couldn't help but wonder how had Ellie managed to get out of there, being disoriented and badly hurt. Her innate clumsiness was pretty obvious, so he just clenched his jaw and kept silent. It wasn't her fault. No one had taught her how to be silent.

As soon as the guy with the scar turned around, they sprinted as fast as possible. Daryl tackled him, and without giving him a chance to warn the others, he pierced his neck with his knife. He took a few steps back to avoid from being crushed by the guy and dragged him far enough so his partner wouldn't see the body. They didn't have a lot of time.

He met up with the rest of the group in the back of one of the buildings. There wasn't a single light. They were in the dark, which was partly good and partly bad. No one could see them, but they couldn't see anything either. And if someone had already spotted them…

He felt a little hand wrapping around his wrist, dragging him softly towards a place that he didn't know. He let Ellie guide him, because even though she was clumsy and loud, she knew where to go. He could hear the footsteps of the rest of them. It wasn't long until they were in front of a metallic door. He was afraid that they were too loud by opening the cracking door, but they were already inside.

The room was lit with halogen lights, cold and aseptic but useful enough.

"How do they have electricity?" Carl asked.

"They have some kind of storage" Ellie explained, "It was already here when they found this place. They try to ration it but it's like it's already running out".

They kept moving down the hallway until they got to another door. The girl made a silence gesture, and then she put her ear against the door, trying to catch some noise inside. Daryl stopped breathing for what it seemed like an eternity until she finally said:

"Clear".

It was like everything was at slow motion. Her hand, raising and opening the door, the dim lights in the room…

Red was the first thing that he saw. Slithering along the floor like a snake until it reached his boots. He raised his head and found the naked body of a girl laying on her stomach, in front of him. The blood was hers. The numerous cuts of her body were the cause of her bleeding out. He felt a violent shudder running through him when he noticed the blond hair fanning around the floor. His hands started shaking just as violently as the rest of him.

There was just silence. He wasn't sure how much time had passed until Rick moved forward, approaching the body. He crouched down and looked at her face. He deflated when Rick's expression changed.

"It's not her" he muttered hoarsely, "It's another girl, Daryl".

God, he'd thought… but it couldn't be. A little butterfly tattoo decorated her arm. It was small, but if Beth had had it, Daryl would've seen it long ago. No, that girl wasn't her… then, who was it?

"Misha" Ellie breathed abruptly. He saw her stumble before she fell on the ground, staining her clothes with blood. Now she was the one shaking, "Oh my god".

She started hyperventilating. Michonne crouched down next to her, trying to calm her, but she wouldn't listen to her. She was just inhaling and exhaling brusquely, her gaze never breaking from the dead girl on the floor.

"What's this place?" Carl whispered. Daryl lifted his eyes and read the inscriptions on the walls. _Never again. Never trust. We first, always._ It was as sinister as the candles that were everywhere. It looked like a ritual room.

"I dunno" the sheriff answered, "But whatever it is, we have to get Beth out and soon".

"Ellie" Daryl said, turning towards the girl, "Where were the others? Where did they keep you?"

But she didn't react. She had wide eyes, taking in the macabre scene in front of her. She was paralyzed with fear. She started shaking her head jerkily.

"I can't come back here, Daryl" she muttered, "I'm sorry. I really can't. I can't end up like Misha. I can't, I can't, I can't…"

Her sobs were getting louder as she panted. Daryl wanted to soothe her and make sure she knew that everything was going to be okay as long as she was quiet, but a part of him wanted to grab her by her shoulders and shake her until she told him where was Beth. They didn't have a lot of time, and if her panic attack kept going, they'd be surrounded in no time. Their blood would soon join the river on the floor.

"Ellie, hun, listen" Michonne spoke with gentleness, "I know you're scared, we all are, but you have to be strong. Where did you sleep?"

Ellie seemed to be returning herself. Her breathing became evened out as her eyes fixed on the woman. She was still shaking, but at least she could speak:

"That door… there's… another hallway…" she managed to articulate before a sob racked through her. Michonne held her tightly and helped her get up.

"C'mon, we gotta hurry up" Daryl grunted.

"Hold on" the woman countered.

"We _can't_ hold on".

"She's terrified, Daryl" Michonne replied harshly. The hunter didn't answer, instead huffing and running a hand through his hair. What if someone had already seen them?

"Alright, Daryl and I will check that hallway. If something happens, you get 'em out" Rick told her. Michonne nodded, and both men approached the door warily. Rick opened it with caution, and Daryl looked at Ellie one more time. She looked more calmed now and nodded at him once, encouraging him. He was going to find Beth. He was going to see her.

He couldn't believe it.

The wide hallway was dark. There were no windows or ventilation conducts. Rick took out a little lantern and shook it a few times until it worked.

"See that door?" Rick muttered, and Daryl nodded. It was different from the others. This time, there was a double door with a chain locking it. Even from there, they could hear the sobs.

Daryl thought his heart was going to get out of his chest. Beth was there. A part of him wanted to run and kick down the doors, but the rational part told him he had to be more careful than ever. It was a short distance, after all. He had to walk on eggshells. If they screwed this up, they'd all end up dead, and she'd never get out alive.

 _I'm coming for you._

One step. Two, three, four… he was surprised to be so close to the door then. Absurd as it sounded, he had felt like the hallway would never end. It was a ridiculous fear, but he just didn't believe it was so simple. These things never happened to him.

But that was real.

"We have to pick the lock".

The sheriff nodded and opened the bag. Suddenly, a picklock came out.

"Where did you find it?"

"The man I killed in that house had it" he explained. Daryl guessed he meant Lou. He didn't get to meet him. He was already dead when Daryl found the group, but the hunter knew he had been just like his partners.

Despite their situation, and the tension, he couldn't help but think that it was comical how clumsily his friend was trying to get rid of the lock. It was evident that he wasn't used to it, and it was logical, considering he had been a cop before the world went to shit. He could still remember him wearing his sheriff uniform. But it had been a long time since that. The Rick Grimes he had met in Atlanta was totally different from the Rick that had called him brother.

"Lemme try" he moved Rick away softly, "I think I'm more used to this stuff, cop".

Rick's lips turned slightly upwards. He hadn't forgotten the Daryl Dixon he had first met either, the same that had threw dead squirrels at him and had tried to stab him. The redneck he had been then.

The world had irrevocably changed them both, for better or worse.

Daryl smirked of relief when the lock was finally open. They threw the chains to the ground.

"Open it" Rick encouraged him. But he couldn't. He was grabbing the door handle so strongly that his hand was white. Just thinking about seeing her again by opening one door had him shivering.

He closed his eyes for a second.

 _You're gonna be the last man standing._

Daryl looked at his friend one last time before he opened the door and came in.

He saw figures running away from them. He took in his surroundings and he just saw fear. No, not fear: terror. Those girls wouldn't even look him in the eye, and the same happened with Rick. They just hid behind the mattresses, sobbing in silence.

"No, no, please…

"Not me, not me".

Daryl moved around them, lighting (not very softly) every single face, looking for Beth. He saw lots of blue eyes, but neither of them was a pair of doe eyes. He saw lots of blonde girls, but not her. The more he searched, the more the anguish grew inside him. The image of the dead girl wouldn't stop appearing in his mind. What if Beth…?

The police half-closed the door as he kept lightening the place. There were twelve or fourteen girls in there, shaking. And it wasn't strange. That place was extremely humid and cold. He couldn't imagine being there for hours, wearing nothing more than underwear.

"Did you see a blonde girl? Beth? Blonde, blue-eyed girl?" Daryl asked.

But nothing could be read in those faces except fear. He saw some of them swallowing hard when the lantern lit their faces. One started sobbing louder when Rick approached her.

"'m not gonna hurt you" he told her, "but you might know her. How old are you?"

"Please, don't hurt me…" she said.

"I won't, I promise".

"I'm just sixteen. I just wanna go home… please…" she moaned as she buried her face in her hands.

"Just tell me if you saw this girl Beth".

The girl looked at him before she shook her head.

"If someone knows her, or knows where she might be" Rick said, raising his voice a little, "this would be a good moment to talk".

Silence. Not even a sob could be heard now. Just shivers and teeth chattering and panting. They weren't going to talk. None of them.

Rick sighed.

"Daryl" he started, turning to face him, "I think-"

And that was all he heard before everything went blank.

* * *

The second the foggy haze he was in disappeared, two things came to him: the first was his crossbow, or more like its absence; the second was the killing headache. He felt like his head was going to explode any time soon. It was like it was pulsing. He opened his eyes slightly, and then a hand pressed against his head.

He straightened up so fast that he felt sick. He moved his arms looking for a support point, but instead, he found a human body. A warm, breathing body… and it seemed like they were talking to him.

Daryl tried to focus. A weak moonlight lit that place, letting him drink in the surroundings and the face of his interlocutor.

"Maggie" he whispered. He tried to get up again, but it was like his body was too heavy.

"Shh" she said, helping him to sit down, "that's it, careful. You knocked your head pretty hard".

"These people…" he started. Suddenly, realization hit him, "Beth. Where's Beth?"

Maggie's lips turned into a thin line, in a gesture that Daryl interpreted like a way to keep tears at bay. Judging by how brusquely she turned her face away from him, she was already crying.

"I wonder the same thing" she muttered hoarsely.

Daryl moved a bit and spotted Rick, Carl, Michonne and Ellie lying on the floor, apparently unconscious. Rick had a pretty nasty cut on his cheek, and someone churned inside him as he noticed Ellie's black eye.

"Bob was afraid you had a concussion. He said someone had to watch you until you woke up, if you did. You're the first one to return" she explained quietly, "I dunno when they'll return themselves".

"Maggie…" he managed to say, "what… what the hell happened?"

The eldest of the Greene sisters took a second to answer. Suddenly, she looked more adult.

"I got out with Sasha and Bob. I started looking for Glenn immediately. It was like an eternity until I found 'im" she smiled weakly, "It was the best thing that had happened in a long time. He was with more people. Good people, Daryl. We decided to go to Terminus, but as soon as we arrived we saw this was a trap. They took our weapons and put us in this train car. We've been here a few days, and just a couple hours ago y'all appeared".

Daryl tried to process everything. He felt like he'd felt some nights before the turn, when he was still wandering off with Merle and he convinced him into taking some shitty pill. He felt like he was floating.

"Beth's here" he muttered.

"What?" the shock of her voice was identical to the one of her face.

"Ellie, the kid…" he pointed at her, "she's been here 'fore. She knew Beth. Beth's here".

He looked at Ellie again. Apart from the black eye, he didn't see any new bruise in her already damaged body. That didn't make him feel less of a shit, of course.

He told her he'd keep her safe. He promised her she wouldn't have to come back there. But there they were, trapped in a train car in some lunatics' community. He looked away, feeling ashamed.

"I got out with Beth. One night walkers attacked the place we were stayin' in. She had a hurt ankle and I told her to wait for me on the side of the road 'til I could get rid of the walkers following us. But when I managed to get out she wasn't there anymore. Someone had taken her… black car, with a white cross painted on it. I tried to follow it. I tried".

Daryl lifted his head to glance at Maggie. Her eyes were dry now, but she looked shocked.

"But she's alive?"

He nodded.

"She's alive".

* * *

Daryl was leaning against a side of the train car, the most luminous one. Through the cracks he could see the outside: two new guards were there. They had taken care of the blood and the body of the old guard. Everything looked perfectly calm.

A couple hours had passed since he had woken up, and he wasn't surprised to find out that some were still trying to wake up. There were some new faces, strange people, but they were Glenn and Maggie's friends, and if they trusted hem, so did he. Besides, they already had enough enemies.

Rick, Michonne, Ellie and Carl had woken up shortly after him, but just the adults were able to get up for long enough to catch up with the rest. As soon as Ellie tried to open her mouth, she moved to the furthest place of the train car and started throwing up, even though she barely had anything to puke, and then she fell down, trembling. Michonne held her and put her on her lap, where she stroked her hair until the girl fell asleep again. Even then, her tiny body kept shaking. Carl tried to hold on a bit more, but he was truly exhausted. They all were. The rest of the group had tried to convince Daryl to get some rest, but he had refused: when they were at the prison he had never left his turn in advance, and some slight concussion wasn't going to stop him now. Bob had already told him that the risk was gone.

He saw a woman on her fifties with long, gray hair pulled up in a braid. She approached one of the guards and they talked for a bit. He realized she was in charge: the way he nodded jerkily and how fast he moved clarified it.

It wasn't long until he came back, but he wasn't alone. He was dragging a girl by her hair. He recognized her immediately: she was the girl Rick had tried talking to. She was sobbing loudly and was trying to get rid of the man's grip.

The guard said something before he practically threw her at the woman's feet, who said something that Daryl couldn't understand. The man leered at the girl before he turned around and came back to his position.

The woman crouched down carefully next to her, cradling her face in her hands with a surprising softness to wipe out the tears. The woman smiled and asked her something, but the girl just shook her head weakly. She kept talking, but the girl just kept shaking her head, over and over again. Suddenly, the woman's expression hardened. She stood up and kicked the girl on the stomach. She rolled to her back, panting.

"Tom!" she exclaimed strongly, "Take her from my sight. Two days without water or food, and we'll see if she speaks or not".

"Yes, m'am" the dude answered. Daryl saw how the girl tried to get up, facing him. She opened her eyes and their gazes met.

"Help me" her lips formed the request. But Daryl couldn't do anything. He couldn't even get out of there. Fuck, he hadn't even been able to find Beth.

Two girls approached the first one, trying to move her, but she fought back. She kept looking at him, pronouncing the same words endlessly. It was driving him insane. What did she want from him? He was as trapped as she was. He couldn't do shit.

One of the guards approached the girls, and his lantern blinded him for an instant. When he blinked to focus again, he froze.

Because the girl he'd been searching for months, the girl he had been dreaming about every single night since she was taking, the same that was always on his mind, filling it with her soft voice, was know kneeling down beside the poor girl who was now begging for his help, soothing her.

Her back was facing him, but he'd recognize that little braid on her ponytail anywhere. The girl lying on the floor looked at her and murmured something before she fainted. Then Beth turned around.

It was like being back in the woods looking for Sophia, when he had fallen off the horse. The same tug in his stomach. Her eyes flashed in the darkness, full with shock. He couldn't stop looking at her. Her mouth was slightly open, just like that night at the funeral home, when that "oh" slipped through her lips. She was changed: her features were a bit harder now, showing the obstacles she had been through. However, her eyes remained the same. Graceful, full of light. Full of pureness. Those doe eyes that he'd see in every pond, river or lake that he'd come across. And those very same eyes were piercing him now, like she was trying to get under his skin, like she hadn't already done it.

The man pushed her roughly and she lost her balance, breaking the visual contact. He pointed at the passed out girl and grunted like the Neanderthal he was. Beth nodded curtly, and with the other girl's help, they managed to make her move. He felt sick when he realized she was walking away. She was leaving… _again._ His heart skipped a beat when Beth turned her head one last time to glance at him quickly before she slipped an arm around her partner's torso, but he didn't see shock in her eyes. Just a promise.

 _I'm coming for you._

* * *

 **A/N: And there she is.**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


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